Mobile billboard advertising system and apparatuses

ABSTRACT

A novel advertising method at least includes: receiving at least one advertising placement offer for the placement of an advertisement, the offer including proposed consideration; accepting an advertising placement order; and displaying an advertisement which is the subject of an accepted advertising placement order on a plurality of mobile, changeable advertising message displays carried by a plurality of coordinated automobiles, which changeable displays are capable of displaying more than one separate advertising message at different times. Each changeable advertising message display at least includes: a visual display; a multiple advertising message generator coupled to the visual display, the multiple advertising message generator adapted to generate a plurality of different advertising messages; and an advertising message selector adapted to select a current advertising message to be displayed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to advertising. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to improvements in thedistribution, placement, display and purchase of advertising messages.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Roadside billboards have long been successfully used to display variousadvertisements. While many advertisers consider roadside billboards tobe cost-effective, there are several drawbacks. For example, theseadvertisements are fixed at a location, so that drivers and otherpassersby do not generally have the opportunity to view them as long asmay be needed to be effective. Further, fixed billboards are onlyviewable at distinct locations, further limiting the scope of theireffectiveness. Yet another problem is that billboards either displayonly one message, or two messages using rotating panels as is known inthe prior art.

In some respects, an improvement over the limitations of older prior artis to place advertising messages on the tops, sides, etc. of cars suchas taxicabs, race cars, busses, trains, etc. The mobility of thevehicles to which the advertising messages are attached allows theadvertising to be seen by more people than would be able to view astationary billboard. However, the messages are typically fixed, notallowing for practical changes to advertising messages out in the field.The approach of two-sided panels provides billboards with the ability todisplay two distinct advertising messages. However, the advertisingmessages are not mobile, and therefore suffer from many shortcomings ofthe conventional stationary billboards.

What is desired but not provided for by the prior art, are a system andmethod for providing mobile advertising displays capable of being viewedby large segments of a population, and related mechanisms for displayingmore than one advertising message on mobile carriers without greateffort. What is further desired is a novel method of allowingadvertisers to purchase advertising space on mobile displays, with theability for flexibility in pricing, based on such factors as thelocation of mobile displays, time of day, day of week, projectedviewership, projected motor vehicle traffic along routes likely to bedriven by operators of the mobile displays, etc. Further, it is desiredto create a functional pool of mobile advertising displays andincentives, so that the numbers may, if desired, far exceed the numberof vehicles involved in conventional mobile advertising.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in response to the presentstate of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems andneeds in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currentlyavailable approaches. Accordingly, the present invention has beendeveloped to provide an advertising method that at least includes:receiving at least one advertising placement offer for the placement ofan advertisement, the offer including proposed consideration; acceptingan advertising placement order; and displaying an advertisement which isthe subject of an accepted advertising placement order on a plurality ofmobile, changeable advertising message displays carried by a pluralityof coordinated automobiles, which changeable displays are capable ofdisplaying more than one separate advertising message at differenttimes. Each changeable advertising message display at least includes: avisual display; a multiple advertising message generator coupled to saidvisual display, said multiple advertising message generator adapted togenerate a plurality of different advertising messages; and anadvertising message selector adapted to select a current advertisingmessage to be displayed.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, orsimilar language does not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized with the present invention should be or are in anysingle embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to thefeatures and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature,advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language,throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that theinvention can be practiced without one or more of the specific featuresor advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additionalfeatures and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments thatmay not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims, ormay be learned by the practice of the invention as set forthhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, amore particular description of the invention briefly described abovewill be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that areillustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawingsdepict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not thereforeto be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will bedescribed and explained with additional specificity and detail throughthe use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view and a front view of a first version ofthe present-inventive mobile billboards shown attached to the rear of anautomobile;

FIG. 2 illustrates a basic schematic block diagram of the displaycomponents of the mobile billboard of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate rear, side, and top views, respectively,of a second version of the present-inventive mobile billboards;

FIG. 4 illustrates a basic schematic block diagram of thepresent-inventive mobile billboard advertising system;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart detailing the general steps in thepresent-inventive mobile billboard advertising method; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the present-inventive mobile billboardand accompanying automobile of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative mounting device for the inventionillustrated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used todescribe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitationof the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations andfurther modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, andany additional applications of the principles of the invention asillustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant artand having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered withinthe scope of the invention.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,appearances of the phrases “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” andsimilar language throughout this specification may, but do notnecessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows the front view of a mobile billboard apparatus 100according to the present invention. The apparatus mobile billboardapparatus 100 is shown mounted to the rear of an automobile 150 via atrailer hitch receiver 192. The mobile billboard apparatus need not bemounted via a trailer hitch receiver, but by any other temporary orpermanent means. Further, the mobile billboard apparatus need not bemounted at the rear of an automobile, and can be attached to anysuitable surface that will give the desired view to targeted viewers,including the front, hood, sides and top or the automobile. A side viewof the apparatus 100 is shown in FIG. 6.

Nominally, the apparatus 100 includes a display housing 110, a displaycarrying arm member 121, a display mounting arm member 131, and a pivotand locking member 133 which pivotally attaches the arm members 121 and131 as shown. The display mounting arm member 131 has a trailer hitchreceiver coupler 130 for insertion into the automobile trailer hitchreceiver 192, while the display carrying arm member 121 has a connector120 for connecting the display housing 110 to the carrying arm member.The mobile billboard apparatus is capable of being mounted on the rearof an automobile, and can display one or more advertising messages whichcan be viewed by onlookers when the automobile passes. Those skilled inthe art to which the present invention pertains will understand that themobile billboard apparatus 100 may be modified so that it need not onlyattach to a trailer hitch receiver, and it need not be limited to rearmounting at the rear of an automobile.

In practice, the dimensions of the display housing 110 are adapted forthe prospective automobile, so that the turn and brake signals (170,172, 180 and 182) are not obscured. The dimensions and position of thedisplay housing are also such that viewing through the automobile rearwindow 160 is unobstructed.

During normal operation of the apparatus 100, the display housing 110 isplaced near the automobile bumper 190. The display housing 110 can bemoved away from the automobile by pulling outward on the display housingso that the arms 121 and 131 rotate and separate via the pivot 133 toprovide the clearance needed to open automobile trunks, hatchbacks,doors, and other structures (symbolically shown as 196) that facilitatethe loading and unloading of cargo or passengers (See FIG. 3C withrespect to the second embodiment discussed below).

In one embodiment, the display 110 includes a flat panel display, suchas a plasma screen or a liquid crystal display (LCD).

The basic elements of the display housing 110 are illustrated in FIG. 2.Recall that the display is a changeable one, capable of displayingseveral different advertising messages at different times. Symbolicallylabeled 216, the display (i.e., a flat panel display) displaysadvertising messages according to information received from a multipleadvertising message generator 214. Advertising message information isstored in memory 213, with input data being received from a data input212. The mobile billboard apparatus user can select the advertisingmessage to be displayed via an advertising message selector 215.Similarly, the user can choose a schedule or pattern of advertisingmessages to be displayed at different times. All of the elements arepowered by a power supply symbolically shown as 211.

Data input can take many forms, including downloading information to acommon port (not shown), and reading from devices and cards, forexample.

The electronic version of a mobile billboard apparatus can be replacedby a mechanical version, such as the one 300 in the rear, side and topviews of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, respectively. The display housing 310contains an array of rotating prism members 340. In the preferredembodiment, the prisms have triangular bases. As a consequence, eachlateral prism face can display a segment of an advertising message. Upto three different advertising messages can be displayed. To display aparticular message, all of the lateral prism faces containing segmentsof the message in question are aligned in the plane which projectsoutward for viewing. To change the message, each of the prisms isrotated in synchrony until a second set of prism faces aligns projectingoutward from the display housing. In the preferred embodiment, rotationand the synchronization of rotation are carried out by a mechanicallinkage 350, which can be as simple as a chain or belt member thatengages with the rotation members of each prism as shown. The knob 360connected to the mechanical linkage, serves as an advertising messageselector, allowing a user to rotate the prisms in unison until thedesired advertising message is displayed. The prisms also cooperate tofunction as a multiple advertising message generator.

Using the approach of FIG. 3, the advertising message is in a printedform with discrete segments. The message segments can be affixed to thelateral prism faces by sliding the segments into transparent pockets, orby other approaches. It is also the approach of the preferred embodimentthat the various segments for each advertising message are to bereceived by a mobile billboard user from a third party such as anadvertising company.

As with FIG. 1, the display housing 310 is connected to a displaycarrying arm member 321 via a connector 320. The elements 330, 331, 333and 390 function identically to the elements 130, 131, 133 and 190,respectively, as discussed supra. In the example shown, the segments ofthe second of three advertising messages are outwardly visible. Anynecessary power to the apparatus 300 can be supplied via wiresintegrated into the elements 320, 321, 330 and 331, and attached to theautomobile electrical supply, or supplemental supply in the alternative.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertain willappreciate that the prisms 340 can contain more than three lateralfaces. In fact any number of lateral faces (which match the number ofsides of the prism bases) may be used. Further, the bases are polygons,but need not be regular polygons. The maximum number of advertisingmessages that can be display equals the number of prism lateral faces.

The prisms may be oriented in any desirable way, including vertically(not shown), horizontally (shown), and any angle between vertical andhorizontal.

An optional illuminator/light source 346 can also be included within thedisplay housing 310, or connected to the back of the display housing asshown in FIG. 3, for projecting advertising messages during nighttimeand overcast viewing conditions, etc. Those skilled in the art will alsoappreciate that the use of the light source 346 is better accompanied byprism members with transparent lateral faces, and translucent messagesegments.

FIG. 3C is a top view of the mobile billboard apparatus 300, showing thedisplay housing 310 pulled away from the automobile to provide clearancefor the opening of doors, hatches, etc., as described above.

In the more general case, the prism members 340 may be described asadvertising message segment mounting mechanisms. This includes suchalternate embodiments as using two end mounts to connect to the ends ofan advertising message segment without actually having actual separateprism lateral faces. In such an arrangement, the printed messagesegments form the geometric construct of prism lateral faces, with theend mounts being analogous to the prism bases. The end mounts areconnected to one another by one or more column members. Middle mounts onthe interior side of the message segments can also be used foradditional rigidity or structural integrity of the mounted messagesegments.

The schematic diagram for a flexible system 400 for both placing ordersand bids for mobile billboard advertisement and other functions is shownin FIG. 4. While any method of contact is possible for placing orders,the Internet is used in the preferred embodiment. Merchants and others(symbolically numbered 410-430) interested in placing advertisingmessages on a fleet of mobile billboards can contact an advertisingcompany 470 in the business of providing mobile billboard advertising.Contact is via the Internet 450 and a website 460 maintained by theadvertising company. Special software 480 guides a customer through theprocess needed to place an order for mobile billboard advertising, or tomake offers and bids in the alternative. When an order for mobilebillboard advertising is accepted, the necessary information needed formobile billboard automobile operators it transmitted to each appropriateoperator using conventional or courier mail (in the case of apparatus ofFIG. 3), digital data, and the like.

While an advertising company may accept all orders that meet explicitguidelines, it may also only accept bids and offers to maximize profits,in the case where mobile billboards are a scarce and/or valuablecommodity.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart for a general algorithm 500 used toreceive orders for mobile billboard advertising, as well as implementingsaid orders. The algorithm begins at Step 502 when a merchant orcustomer contacts the advertising company in an effort to have one ormore advertising messages displayed by mobile billboards carried by acoordinated group of automobiles. The aforementioned advertising programis launched to aid the customer in preparing a bid or offer (Step 504).The bid or offer is prepared using many considerations for pricing(Steps 506 and 508). Among the many considerations for pricing are:number of automobiles carrying the particular mobile advertisingmessage; geographic location of the mobile displays; aggregate time ofthe advertising message displayed; projected traffic along the pathsdriven by mobile message automobile operators; the time of day of themessage displays; the day of the week of the message displays; aggregatedistance driven by the mobile message operators; and many others.

The customer makes a formal offer for the mobile display of anadvertising message in Step 510. If the advertising company rejects theoffer or bid, the algorithm jumps to Step 520 and stops (See Step 512).If, however, the advertising company accepts the offer or bid, thealgorithm advances to Step 514, where the advertising company sendsoffers for the display of advertising messages to appropriate mobilebillboard automobile operators, which these operators may accept orreject according to the proposed terms. Those mobile billboardautomobile operators who accept the offer receive additional informationin Step 516 enabling the display of one or more advertising messagesaccording to specifications (i.e., exact messages to display, times,locations, etc.).

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative mounting device for the inventionillustrated in FIG. 1. Specifically, in addition to the previouslydescribed elements from the previous drawings, there is illustrated astatic mounting device 630. Uniquely, the static mounting device 630 mayinclude a single uniform piece of material that extends into the trailerhitch 192 and extends linearly outward therefrom, and thereby bendsapproximately 90° vertically where it attaches to the base of thedisplay housing 110. Therefore, in contrast, this alternative staticmounting device does not allow for the movement of the display housingas was previously described.

The mobile billboard automobile operators display the advertisingmessages according to specifications in Step 518, followed by the end ofthe algorithm in Step 520. The method disclosed thus providesflexibility for potential mobile billboard advertisement customers,advertising companies, as well as automobile operators carrying mobilebillboards.

Many of the functional units described in this specification have beenlabeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize theirimplementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented asa hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays,off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or otherdiscrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmablehardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmablearray logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by varioustypes of processors. An identified module of executable code may, forinstance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computerinstructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object,procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identifiedmodule need not be physically located together, but may comprisedisparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joinedlogically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purposefor the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or manyinstructions, and may even be distributed over several different codesegments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated hereinwithin modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organizedwithin any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may becollected as a single data set, or may be distributed over differentlocations including over different storage devices, and may exist, atleast partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.

It is understood that the above-described preferred embodiments are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the presentinvention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Thedescribed embodiment is to be considered in all respects only asillustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is,therefore, indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoingdescription. All changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design ofthis invention.

Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the device may beconstructed of a variety of materials.

Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above withparticularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed tobe the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it willbe apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerousmodifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size,materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly anduse may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts ofthe invention as set forth in the claims.

1. An advertising method comprising: receiving at least one advertisingplacement offer for the placement of an advertisement, said offerincluding proposed consideration; accepting an advertising placementorder; and displaying an advertisement which is the subject of anaccepted advertising placement order on a plurality of mobile,changeable advertising message displays carried by a plurality ofcoordinated automobiles, which changeable displays are capable ofdisplaying more than one separate advertising message at differenttimes; wherein each said changeable advertising message displaycomprises: a visual display; a multiple advertising message generatorcoupled to said visual display, said multiple advertising messagegenerator adapted to generate a plurality of different advertisingmessages; and an advertising message selector adapted to select acurrent advertising message to be displayed.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein said multiple advertising message generator comprises: aplurality of juxtaposed prisms rotatable about their longitudinal axes,each lateral prism face being adapted to display a segment of anadvertising segment; wherein lateral faces of a plurality of prisms arealigned in a plane to integrate segments of an advertising message intoa complete advertising message image, and wherein more than onedifferent advertising message can be displayed at different times. 3.The method of claim 2, wherein said prisms each comprise three lateralfaces.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said changeable advertisingmessage display further comprises: a carrying arm member having firstand second carrying arm member ends, said first carrying arm member endcoupled to said visual display; a mounting arm member having first andsecond mounting arm member ends, said first mounting arm member endadapted to be coupled to an automobile; a pivoting coupler adapted tocouple said carrying arm member and said mounting arm at said secondcarrying arm member end and at said second mounting arm member end;wherein said carrying arm member and said mounting arm member cooperateto swing said visual display away from a mounting automobile as desiredto provide clearance for ingress and egress structures.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said changeable display comprises a plasma display. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein said changeable display comprises aliquid crystal display.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said messageselector comprises: a mechanical linkage connected between said prisms;and a rotatable selector device coupled to said mechanical linkageadapted to allow a user to rotate said selector device and transmitrotation to said prisms to move and rotate prism faces simultaneouslyand select an advertising message for display.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein said offers and said acceptance are part of a bidding process.9. The method of claim 1, wherein said offer specifies an amount ofaggregate distance over which a particular message shall be displayed bysaid coordinated automobiles.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein saidoffer specifies an amount of aggregate time over which a particularmessage shall be displayed by said coordinated automobiles.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said offer specifies a geographic regionwithin which a particular message shall be displayed by said coordinatedautomobiles.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein said offer specifies aprojected density of motor vehicles on roads traveled during the displayof a particular message by said coordinated automobiles.
 13. The methodof claim 1, wherein said offer specifies a projected number of messageviewers during the display of a particular message by said coordinatedautomobiles.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: periodicallyselecting new advertising messages to be displayed on the changeabledisplays of said coordinated automobiles; and changing elements of saidchangeable display accordingly.
 15. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: changing the advertising message to be displayed based onthe time of day.
 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: changingthe advertising message to be displayed based on the particular day. 17.The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing remuneration tocoordinated automobile operators; wherein each said coordinatedautomobile operator may accept or reject an offer to display aparticular advertising message.
 18. A billboard for the display ofadvertising messages comprising: a changeable advertising messagedisplay adapted to display multiple advertising messages at differenttimes; a carrying arm member having first and second carrying arm memberends, said first carrying arm member end coupled to said changeableadvertising message display; a mounting arm member having first andsecond mounting arm member ends, said first mounting arm member endadapted to be coupled to an automobile; a pivoting coupler adapted tocouple said carrying arm member and said mounting arm at said secondcarrying arm member end and at said second mounting arm member end;wherein said carrying arm member and said mounting arm member cooperateto swing said changeable advertising message display away from amounting automobile as desired to provide clearance for ingress andegress structures, and wherein said billboard is adapted to beoperational while being transported by an automobile.
 19. The billboardof claim 18, wherein said multiple advertising message generatorcomprises: a plurality of juxtaposed advertising message segmentmechanisms rotatable about their longitudinal axes, each advertisingmessage segment generator comprising: at least two mounts coupled by atleast one column member, said mounts being adapted to connect to anadvertising message segment and display said advertising messagesegment; wherein advertising message segments corresponding to the sameadvertising message are aligned in a plane to integrate segments of anadvertising message into a complete advertising message image, andwherein more than one different advertising message can be displayed atdifferent times.
 20. The billboard of claim 18, further comprising: alight source adapted to outwardly project advertising message segments.